


I Smell Snow

by thatkategirl82



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Adult hicsqueak, Childhood Friends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Hicsqueak, F/F, Falling In Love, First snowfall, Fluff, Hicsqueak, Snow, The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2020, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27833737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatkategirl82/pseuds/thatkategirl82
Summary: The first snow is like the first love. Do you remember your first snow? – Lara BiyutsIn which Hecate Hardbroom remembers both.
Relationships: Hardbroom/Pentangle (Worst Witch)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 24
Collections: The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2020





	I Smell Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Written for The Worst Witch Winter Warmers 2020 event! 
> 
> I woke up to a winter wonderland outside of my window yesterday so naturally I put on some Christmas music and wrote this Hicsqueak fluff. Please enjoy my silly little first snowfall story! 
> 
> I wish you all a holiday season full of peace, joy, love, happiness, and (if possible in your area) - snow!

“I smell snow.”

Hecate’s eyes did not budge from the large volume of _Toadstools: New and Improved Uses for the Modern Witch_ resting on her lap.

“Hiccup,” The voice was more insistent this time. “I smell _snow_.”

Hecate hmm’ed in response while she scribbled down a bullet point on how toadstools can be extra effective in the enhancement of memory potions as long as they are crushed precisely the right number of times and left to sit in the moonlight for exactly thirty-two minutes. She was moving on to disadvantages of toadstools when she found the book being ripped from her grasp.

“Pippa!” Hecate exploded, shooting a look at Pippa that would have sent a normal person running for cover. But Pippa, being Pippa, was entirely unfazed.

“How do you even lift this thing, Hiccup?” Pippa hugged the large book against her chest, sagging a bit from the weight. “It must weigh more than both of us put together.”

“It’s large because it holds a wealth of information,” Hecate snapped. “Information I would like to continue learning if you would please return what belongs to me.” She crossed her long arms over her chest and gave Pippa a scathing look. “I don’t have time for this right now.”

Pippa rolled her eyes. “You haven’t had time for anything besides toadstools or _The Alternating Uses of Peacock Feathers_ or _An Excellence in Potions Study_ in days.”

Pippa said the names of the books with her nose stuck in the air, emphasizing each word to punctuate it. Hecate frowned.

“Exams are coming up—,”

“I am requesting fifteen minutes of my best friend’s time,” Pippa narrowed her eyes. Hecate wagered she would’ve put her hands on her hips if she wasn’t holding the book captive; a petulant stomp of her food may have also been involved, so maybe sacrificing the toadstools had been in her best interest. “Surely you could use a break. I’ve barely seen any of you besides your bun poking out from between some textbook pages.”

Hecate’s frown deepened. “I’m just taking my education seriously.”

“I know,” Pippa’s demeanor softened a bit. She dropped the book on a nearby table and approached the armchair where Hecate was seated. Perching easily on one of the arms, Pippa slung her arm around Hecate’s shoulders and squeezed, resting her head lightly against the top of Hecate’s bun. “You are the brightest witch in our year. If you don’t take a few moments to relax, you’ll burn yourself out. You have to have a bit of balance in your life, you know? All I’m asking for is fifteen minutes and then right back to toadstools – I promise.”

Hecate sighed and Pippa knew she had won.

Making a noise somewhere between a squeal and a cheer, Pippa hopped off the chair. She beamed at Hecate and held out her hand, palm up.

“Come with me.”

Still frowning but knowing Pippa wouldn’t give her a moment of peace unless she acquiesced, Hecate reached out and laced their fingers together. The moment they touched, Hecate felt the floor fall out from under her feet, the dark wooden tones of the library swirl and fade, and a new world come into focus a second later. Her feet hit the frosted grass, the cold air stung her face, and Cackles stood looming over her in the distance.

“Did you just—,”

“Transfer us?” Pippa grinned and winked at Hecate. “I’ve been practicing.”

“That was...,” Hecate started, staring at her friend. “That was a perfect transfer! I’m so proud of you, Pip! I knew you could do it.”

Pippa’s grin shifted into a warm smile and she squeezed Hecate’s hand, still clutched in her own. “All thanks to my brilliant friend for helping me study, no doubt.”

Hecate’s cheeks turned pink (due to the cold air, surely). “No. You did this all on your own.”

“But I couldn’t have without help. Now, enough talk about studying - the whole reason we're out here is for a break! Let's go!"

Pippa took off at a run, dragging an only slightly unwilling Hecate along behind. They hurried along together until Pippa came to an abrupt halt, planting herself so suddenly that Hecate nearly bulldozed her right over. Catching their breath, the two stood together in the middle of the yard – halfway between the tree line where they'd transferred to and where the castle stood tall. Pippa stood completely still and closed her eyes. Hecate watched her, unsure what she was doing, but knowing that Pippa had her reasons for everything - even if those reasons were often based on whims and desires instead of knowledge and necessity.

“Close your eyes.” 

Instead of closing them, Hecate rolled them. “Really—,”

“Do it, Hecate Hardbroom, or so help me you will never learn another toadstool fact as long as you live.”

“Fine,” Hecate spat. She huffed, but did as she was told and closed both eyes. “Now what?”

“Listen.”

“I can’t listen if my ears turn to ice and shatter due to this abysmal weather.”

“ _Hecate_.”

“Fine.”

Hecate listened. At first, she couldn’t hear anything outside of the wind's angry howl as it whipped against her, sending sporadic shivers through her body. Of course, Pippa hadn’t thought to let her dress properly for winter weather before dragging her out into the icy temperatures. Classic Pippa, acting with emotion rather than practicality.

But maybe that was why they worked so well together. Pippa's spontaneity balanced out her own need for structure, for order.

The thought made Hecate smile. She was suddenly hyper aware of Pippa’s hand, fingers interlaced tightly with her own. The warmth where their palms met seemed to spread through her hand, up her arm, down into her chest, and out to each extremity. Was Pippa performing a warming spell? Hecate cracked an eye open, stealing a glance at her companion. No – she was not chanting. Pippa’s eyes were closed tightly, a serene smile gracing her lips, and her face tilted up towards the sky.

Taking a deep breath, Hecate closed her eyes and did the same. If she wasn’t going to get any studying completed until she did what Pippa wanted, then she might as well just try to enjoy the break. She breathed in deeply, icy air filling her lungs, and she listened.

She listened to the wind turn from an angry howl to a gentle whisper as it brushed through the leafless tree branches surrounding them. She listened to her own breath, even and rhythmic – matching with Pippa’s. Far off, coming from the castle, she swore she could hear a bit of laughter.

“Open your eyes, Hiccup.”

And she did.

“Oh – _Pippa_.” 

Dancing through the air like little cotton balls – thousands upon thousands of sparkling snowflakes had began to fall. They drifted on the wind; diving, jumping, and swirling above them, and then around them as the flakes floated effortlessly to the ground. Hecate squeezed Pippa’s hand, and Pippa squeezed back.

Pippa turned to Hecate then, reaching out to grasp her other hand so that they were fully locked in one another’s grasp. “I told you I smelled snow.”

Hecate laughed. She laughed, and she stared. Pippa’s eyes were sparkling in the minimal light from the castle; her blonde hair had come loose in the wind and strands floated around her face, looking as natural in their disarray as they did when perfectly styled. The snowfall picked up and Pippa tilted her head back, sticking her tongue out to catch a few snowflakes. Then she dropped Hecate's hands to stretch her arms out to the sides and throw her head back.

“It’s snowing!” Pippa shouted, breaking into a fit of giggles.

Hecate laughed louder. Pippa laced her fingers with Hecate's again and tugged her into motion. Then they were spinning – around and around and around, the only sound their laughter and the only things that mattered being the snow and one another – until Pippa tripped over her own feet and crashed into Hecate. The taller girl caught her friend automatically, locking her arms around Pippa to save her from landing on the cold ground.

“See?” Pippa laughed, fingers gathering in the material of Hecate's uniform. “Isn’t this better than studying?”

Pippa’s face was only inches away from Hecate’s. Suddenly she felt too warm, and things felt too perfect. Her stomach did a somersault. Pippa was so close; almost _too_ close. The only person who could convince her to jump around in the first snowfall like a child was wrapped up in her arms. Her best friend.

Hecate leaned in and placed a feather light kiss on Pippa’s cheek. When she pulled back, Pippa looked both startled and thrilled.

“That's debatable. Toadstools _are_ very interesting.”

Pippa laughed, and threw her arms around Hecate's neck - hugging the taller girl tighter than she ever had before.

* * *

"Morgana, stop it.”

Hecate turned her head, snuggling back into her pillow. It was nowhere near morning and she was not about to pull herself out of bed until she absolutely had too. With the winter term break nearly upon them, the girls had been particularly unbearable and _loud_ in class. Hecate needed every ounce of rest she could acquire so her patience didn't snap altogether.

The noise that had woken her up in the first place, a _scrape scrape scrape_ , continued.

“ _Morgana_.” Hecate hissed.

The scraping got louder.

Hecate groaned, squeezing her eyes shut in irritation, before prying them open and sitting up in bed. The scraping continued, but she didn’t see her troublesome familiar anywhere. Sighing, Hecate swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her robe. Her chambers usually stayed relatively warm throughout the night, but there was a certain chill in the air that sent a shiver down her spine. Shrugging into the robe, she padded her way out of her bedroom and towards the sitting room, squinting in the dark to catch a glimpse of her feline. If only her familiar wasn’t as black as the midnight sky on top of being a sneaky little nuisance.

The scraping sounded again, and Hecate whirled around. It sounded like it was coming from the window. She pulled the curtain back and—

“Morgana!”

A petulant _meow_ , muffled by the glass, was the answer.

Hecate pushed against the ice-covered glass for a moment before getting frustrated and twisting her fingers, opening the frozen window by magic. Morgana bolted in so quickly that had Hecate blinked, she would’ve missed her.

The cat twirled around Hecate’s legs, weaving in and out and purring so loudly that Hecate could feel the vibrations tingling against her skin.

“Oh Morgana,” She knelt down and swiped a hand the whole way down her cat, head to tail, brushing off the many, many snowflakes. “You snuck out again and you got trapped, I see. What have we learned?”

Morgana meowed and bumped her head against Hecate’s hand.

“Yes, you’re welcome. Lucky for you I’m a light sleeper or you would’ve been a snow-cat before the morning.”

Morgana blinked at Hecate, who scratched her chin.

A sudden gust of wind lifted Hecate’s loose curls and sent a flutter of snowflakes into the sitting room. She stood up at once, twirling her fingers to close the window – but then she paused.

It was snowing.

She placed her hands on the windowsill and stared out into the night. Snowflakes jumped and danced on the wind, and Hecate felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach.

It had been years since a proper snow had fallen.

Smiling, she dashed back towards the bedroom and crawled onto the bed, not stopping until she hovered over her companion.

“Pipsqueak,” She whispered. When there was no response, she leaned down and placed a flurry of kisses along Pippa’s temple. She kissed the whole way down to her chin and back up again until Pippa groaned and tried to shove her away.

“If the sun is not up, I don’t need to be up.” Pippa muttered. She rolled over and pulled the duvet up over her head, making Hecate's lips twitch up into a smile.

“You’ll want to be up for this,” Hecate promised. Then she leaned down to whisper in Pippa’s ear: “I smell snow.”

Pippa was up like a shot. She blinked blearily and stared at the other woman. “Snow?!”

Hecate nodded and held out her hand. “Snow.”

Pippa beamed and grasped Hecate’s fingers. Like so many years ago, the current surroundings whooshed away as the two women materialized in the middle of the Cackles grounds, in the same spot they'd stood together decades before.

“Oh!” Pippa tilted her head up to the sky, watching with wide eyes as the snowflakes danced. "Oh, Hecate! Look how lovely!"

Pippa snuggled herself against Hecate's side, letting her head fall to rest against her partner in a way that was slowly becoming as natural as breathing. Hecate sighed, feeling warm and content despite the cold air. She closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of each snowflake as they landed on her cheeks, her eyelashes, in her hair - and then she memorized the feeling of Pippa. Of her warm body pressed against Hecate's side, of her blonde hair tickling Hecate's cheek - it was foolish, but even after over a year together, Hecate worried. Deep down, she wasn't sure if she would ever be unafraid; even after the time that had passed, each moment with Pippa felt like a gift that could be ripped out of her grasp once again.

Unconsciously, she squeezed Pippa's hand. "I love you."

Pippa hummed and squeezed back. "I love you more."

Snow had lost its joy in the years following the decimation of her friendship with Pippa and in the years since their reconciliation, there hadn’t been any snow.

Until now.

“Thank you for waking me, Hiccup.”

Pippa let go of Hecate’s hand to stretch her arms out to her sides and spin herself around. “It’s snowing!”

Hecate rolled her eyes at the antics, but couldn’t resist a quiet laugh. She hadn’t felt so light, so happy, so _free_ , since the last time she stood in the snow with Pippa Pentangle some thirty years ago.

With a glint in her eye, Hecate stepped in the way of Pippa’s spins and caught the blonde, folding her into her arms and hugging Pippa against her chest.

“You know,” Hecate pressed her forehead against Pippa’s. “There was something I really wanted to do the last time we were together for the first snowfall.”

“And what would that be?” Pippa’s breath was hot against Hecate’s mouth.

“Tell you that toadstools are particularly useful when it comes to—,”

“ _Hiccup!"_

Pippa moved to push Hecate away, but Hecate was too quick; she wrapped her arms around Pippa’s back and ducked her head, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips firmly against the soft pink ones belonging to the most important person in her life. Pippa melted into the kiss, laughing a bit, and Hecate smiled against her lips. She clutched Pippa tighter to her and Pippa’s hands trailed up her back and shoulders, one to tangle easily in her loose, dark curls; the other to wrap around the nape of Hecate's neck.

Hecate pulled back just far enough to whisper. “I told you I smelled snow.”

Pippa reclaimed her lips as the snowfall picked up, enveloping the two of them in a wonderland of shining, shimmering, dancing crystals. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank goodness for the first snow. It was a reminder – no matter how old you became and how much you’d seen – things could still be new if you were willing to believe they still mattered. – Candace Bushnell


End file.
